Medical/Dental Student Summer Research Programs

Today’s academic health center is defined by a complex infrastructure of people, services, buildings and missions serving three fundamental masters – education, patient care, and research. At the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, opportunities abound for students to invest their energies, abilities and talents to advance our knowledge and understanding of basic sciences, clinical sciences, public health, and biopsychosocial understandings of wellness and disease through involvement in our various student research programs.

Additionally, supporting students' spirit of inquiry, encouraging the mental tenacity to see the project through, and expecting the ability to record, write-up and present findings according to accepted scientific standards are the promises each of our faculty gives to each student embarking on any research endeavor with us. We want our students to appreciate what goes into the rigorous search for the right research questions, how to achieve the tightest research design and protocol, and how to systematically convey experiences and results in oral and written form.

We invite you to explore the opportunities available so that each student can build into his or her own academic development that unique set of skills and unique bond that develops among people invested in identifying and carrying out a protocol on a specific research question.

• Visit the Research page for more information.

School of Dental Medicine – College Summer Fellowship Program

The purpose of the program is to provide a research enrichment experience and some exposure to clinical medicine. A popular and competitive program for nearly two decades, the program is offered to college students intent on exploring and developing their appreciation for research experience as part of their overall preparation for medical school and a medical career. The faculty develop and make available suitable project descriptions from which students select a research opportunity. The student then meets with the faculty sponsor(s) and they develop a research protocol. The student commits approximately 30 hours per week to carry out the project. Approximately eight hours a week are set aside for clinical experience and seminars. A stipend is provided as is assistance in locating housing. Accepted students are encouraged to explore the faculty and research departments and centers listings to access areas of interest, ongoing research themes and initiatives by departmental focus, and current initiatives, recent publications, and future initiatives of specific faculty.

• Visit the College Summer Fellowship Program page for more information.

Graduate School – Undergraduate Summer Research Internship in Biological and Biomedical Sciences

The University of Connecticut Graduate School in Biomedical Sciences invites highly qualified and motivated undergraduate students to apply for a limited number of summer internships. The internships are available to students who have completed their sophomore year and are interested in a doctorate degree in the biological or biomedical sciences. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the research activities of a laboratory under the direction of a faculty member, receive a stipend, and housing assistance.

• Visit the Undergraduate Summer Research Internship Program page for more information.

Department of Health Careers Opportunity Programs – Summer Research Opportunities for High School and College Students

Summer Research Fellowship Program
The Summer Research Fellowship Program is a ten-week program designed to provide a research enrichment experience and some exposure to clinical medicine to undergraduate students who are interested in a career in medicine. Applicants should have completed some college coursework in biology and chemistry, preferably through organic chemistry. A variety of projects are available. Faculty develop and make available suitable project descriptions. A faculty sponsor will be identified for each accepted applicant. The student meets with the faculty sponsor and develops the project protocol. The student commits approximately 30 hours each week to the project. Approximately eight hours are set aside for clinical experience and seminars. Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) students are encouraged to apply. A stipend and assistance with housing are provided.

• Visit the Summer Research Fellowship Program page for more information.

High School Student Research Apprentice Program
The High School Student Research Apprentice Program is a six-week summer program for high school students, traditionally under-represented in American medicine, who have completed their junior or senior year and have indicated an interest in medicine or dental medicine. The program provides students with a research experience in one of the basic science or clinical laboratories at the University of Connecticut Health Center or Storrs campus. Students report the results of their research in a presentation before faculty, preceptors, and other program participants and invited guests during the final week of the program. Participants at the Health Center must be able to commute daily. Participants at the Storrs campus will receive housing Monday through Friday.

• Visit the High School Student Research Apprentice Program page for more information.

Medical/Dental Student Summer Research Program

The Medical/Dental Student Summer Research Program is offered to entering and first-year students from the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. It is designed to give students the opportunity to engage in research projects under the guidance of a faculty member. Students are notified of opportunities in December with a “letter of intent,” application cover sheet and procedures. Interested students need to file the “intent” to Lynda Rae Fox in February. Students then meet with faculty to develop a research protocol. Fellowships are awarded for approximately 400 hours of research time. The stipend is normally $3,000 depending on sources of funding available for the program. The number of stipend supported projects is limited and are awarded on a competitive basis by the Faculty Research Committee. Students are advised to prepare their applications carefully in close conjunction with their sponsors. Most important are the articulation of a clear hypothesis and the delineation of defined approaches to test it.

For more information, contact:

Medical/Dental Student Scientific Research Day

Each year, the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine set aside a day in late February to acknowledge and honor student research. A faculty committee reviews the abstracts of student research projects completed the previous summer. Students are selected to present their work for either formal oral presentation or poster sessions that run concurrently throughout the day. A guest lecturer is selected to serve as the capstone speaker. Students, sponsors, faculty and family attend the awards reception/dinner. The research committee selects students for awards to acknowledge their contributions to research and excellence in their presentations.